Who am I?

Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards of Fort Washington represents Maryland's 4th Congressional District. She was sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 110th Congress in June 2008, and began her first full-term in the 111th Congress in 2009. Congresswoman Edwards serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee, where she is the Ranking Member on the Space Subcommittee.
Congresswoman Edwards has actively participated in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee where she is now the Chair of the Recruitment Committee.
Congresswoman Edwards has enjoyed a diverse career as a nonprofit public interest advocate and in the private sector on NASAs Spacelab project. Before serving in Congress, she was the executive director of the Arca Foundation in Washington, DC.
Congresswoman Edwards co-founded the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV); the first executive of the NNEDV, she led the effort to pass The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 that was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.
Congresswoman Edwards completed undergraduate studies at Wake Forest University and received her Juris Doctor from the University of New Hampshire School of Law (formerly the Franklin Pierce Law Center). She is the proud mother of an adult son.

Why am I running?

When her son decided on a college, Congresswoman Edwards decided it was time to become a member of the institution whose policies she worked so hard to change, the U.S. House of Representatives. At the time, she said I ran for Congress because I believe I represent the hopes and values that are the core of the Democratic Party for workers, for families, for our country. It is an honor to represent Maryland's 4th Congressional District, and I believe much more work remains to be done to ensure that the voices of ordinary people are heard throughout our government. Since coming to Congress, Rep. Edwards turned those words into action; strengthening health care, protecting Social Security, promoting environmental stewardship, and fighting to create jobs. Congresswoman Edwards is inspired constantly by the stories she hears from working families across her Congressional District, and her goal is to advocate for policies that level the playing field, providing equal opportunity for all Americans.

My Goals

Job Creation and Infrastructure Investments
Job creation and growing the economy are the top priorities for residents in Maryland's 4th Congressional District and Americans across the country. Congresswoman Edwards believes there are immediate, straightforward, and proven steps to put millions of Americans back to work. The first is passing legislation that will make substantial investments in the nation's crumbling infrastructure and create thousands of jobs. It is important that we no longer continue entertaining old policies driven by ideology. Instead, we must take bold action to rebuild the manufacturing base in America. This will help create good-paying jobs here in America in the short-term and help lay a foundation for future prosperity for generations to come.

Strengthening Health Care
Rep. Edwards is a leading voice for quality, affordable, and accessible health care. During the health reform debate, Congresswoman Edwards fought to end gender discrimination by insurance companies so pregnancy and domestic violence were no longer considered pre-existing conditions, make screening and preventative care for women part of coverage with no co-pays or deductibles, and reduce health disparities. She championed a key provision in the Affordable Care Act to prevent price gouging by enabling states to review private insurers premium increases to determine if they are excessive or unjustified, while holding insurance companies accountable. To date, this simple provision has been used to save consumers millions of dollars. With Republicans attempting to undermine health care reform at every turn, Congresswoman Edwards understands that her provision and additional efforts to provide affordable, quality, and accessible health care are critical for working families in Maryland's 4th Congressional District and looks forward to continue those efforts in the 113th Congress.

Protecting Social Security
The fight to protect Social Security for seniors and future generations is of the utmost importance for Maryland's 4th Congressional District, which currently has over 77,000 recipients. Rep. Edwards led the fight to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid during the debt ceiling crisis negotiations by authoring a letter to President Obama with 69 other Members of Congress urging no benefit reductions. She has continued that effort by joining with her colleagues to urge the Members of the Deficit Super Committee not to cut these programs that are a lifeline for millions of Americans.

My DFA Values

Congresswoman Edwards is an outspoken advocate for DFA's shared values and has worked tirelessly as a Member of Congress to create a more fair and equal society on behalf of working families throughout the country.

My Campaign is People Powered!

Before coming to Congress, Congresswoman Edwards enjoyed a long career as a nonprofit public interest advocate and grassroots organizer. Congresswoman Edwards used those experiences in each of her previous campaigns, and will continue to do so in 2013 and beyond. First, we are strengthening our large volunteer organization, allowing the campaign to reach out directly to discuss issues and policies with residents in Maryland's 4th Congressional District. Second, Congresswoman Edwards' campaign is supported by Americans from throughout the Congressional District and across the country. People who share her progressive values and see her as a leading voice in Congress on behalf of working Americans. During her time in Congress, Congresswoman Edwards has been a leader in using new media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, tele-town halls) to reach people where they are and on issues of the day.

Voice support

About the Endorsement Process

The driving force behind all DFA endorsements is our members. We recognize that all politics is local and that what is considered progressive in Los Angeles may be very different from what's considered progressive in Louisville. For this reason, DFA does not have a litmus test of specific progressive positions for which a candidate must stand. Our endorsement is heavily weighted based on these questions:

• Will the candidate move the progressive movement forward in their community?
• Does the candidate have substantial support from our local members?
• Do the candidate's positions and policies fit into the broader progressive movement?
• Is the campaign people-powered and the candidate working to win?

If you have questions, or want to let us know about a candidate in your neighborhood, please call us at (802) 651-3200 or email us at [email protected] .